Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-01-08
The Thinking Habit.

The pleasures of thought are hardly sec
ondary to the genial delights of converse
ton. Why, then, should conversation be
made an art and thought given only sort
of ca.ch-as- catch-can place in ones every
day life? Why should not thought be
made an art, too?
We do not mean that narrowing, me-
chanical thinking of which every ole does
more or less, but that dreamy, retrospect
i've and speculative condition of the mind
which brings perfect calm to the nerves and
soft elasticity to the Imagination.
The delight which one receives from the
perusal of a romance or an essay, one Of
Lambs, for instance, is not greater than
one can evolve from ones own conscious
ness, if one will only take the trouble to
acquire the 4" thinking habit"
Every man has more or less originality.
There is something in him that makes him
different from others. This quality, what
ever it may be, constitutes his individuality
AS the Concord philosophers would say, il
gives him himness which is distinct from
a somebodyelseness.
A man may always find congenial COM
panionship in his own individuality. For
this reason one can never be in better COM
pany than when one is alone. OF course,
this does not include men whose con-
sciences are stained with crime. Good
thoughts are the fruits of good lives. but
thought itself is hell to evil minds, where
ones eyes are turned in upon ones self and
every foul spot detected.
We are speaking to those who can afford
to think. Have you never, good reader,
charmed yourself into state OF blissful
calm by an almost unconscious process OF
contemplation in the twilight of winter S
eve when seated comfortably before a glow
ing fire, whose Pickering light casts fan
tastic shadows on the floor? Such condi-
tons invite thought, and one thinks with
out premeditated design.
But it is Just as easy for one to create the
conditions designedly. The only essential
is that one must have only ones self for
company and you have no idea how much
better acquainted one gets with ones self
in these periods of what is called solitude.
A man can form no better habit than
that of separating himself = from the mad
ding crowd" for time each day, that he
may devote himself to free and sincere
never tried it has only faint idea, if any,
of the recompense it brings in the form of
contentment and refreshment
In this busy world of the nineteenth CEN
fury social intercourse has been carried 10
such alarming extremes that too many
people of to-day are like ship without a
rudder when left to their own companion
ship. If they are not in the mood for read
ing, they are half frantic with nervousness
until they find the companionship of an
other mind.
1t has been said by some author that a
man who has read good books can find no
better company than his own thoughts.
Truer words were never written. And it
might be added that one who does not fire.
quently in his mind renew the delights
which came with the reading of some good
author. has not half learned the pleasure
or the value of reading.
For every hour of reading two hours
should be given to thought indeed, one
can better afford to stop reading than think
ing. Many great readers are wofully bar
rem of ideas, but there was never great
thinker--a frequent thinker-who was not
strong in individuality Tribune.